


Valeria

by SegaBarrett



Category: Askewniverse, Vulgar (2000)
Genre: Gen, Rape Recovery, References to Canonical Rape/Noncon, Social Workers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-14
Updated: 2020-11-14
Packaged: 2021-03-09 19:54:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,134
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27551860
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SegaBarrett/pseuds/SegaBarrett
Summary: Syd gets Will to talk to somebody.





	Valeria

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Vulgar, and I make no money from this.

Will’s heart starts palpitating before they even pull into the parking lot of the Leonardo Rape Crisis Center, and he’s yanking on the release of The Shitbox trying to escape by the time Syd is trying to parallel park.

“I changed my mind, Syd, I don’t wanna go,” he begs, and Syd shakes his head at him.

“You need to go at least check in with somebody,” Syd says, and Will wonders if he would be so damn knowledge-heavy if this shit had happened to him instead. But he doesn’t say it, instead just curls into himself a little more and gives up the fight.

When Syd finally parks (hitting the curb) and lets Will out of the car, he jumps out of it and stares at the building, not knowing where to run or what to do.

There’s a woman walking out of the building in what could be referred to as business-casual only if someone was being generous, wearing a lanyard around her neck and smoking a cigarette.

“Hey,” Syd says, walking up to her, “How do we get in to see somebody?”

“Just right through the front. Let them know at the desk and they can get you in to see the next counselor available.” She smiles at both of them, and her gaze travels to Will’s bound hand, but she doesn’t say anything.

“I can’t,” Will protests, “I’m not going in there. Syd, come on, don’t make me…”

“Do you work in there?” Syd asks the woman, and she nods.

“Well, sort of. I’m an intern from the college. Valeria.” She extends her hand to Will, first, who reluctantly shakes it with his good one, and then Syd.

“Valeria, what if we all just kinda… talked out here? I mean, there’s nobody around really.”

“I mean, it’s not the best for HIPAA, but…” Valeria starts, then gestures to the curb behind them and takes a seat, encouraging the men to do the same. “How can I help you two?”

“He won’t go to the hospital and he won’t go to the police,” Syd begins.

“Neither of which you have to do,” Valeria replies, looking past him to try to meet Will’s gaze. He’s looking down, hair still in his eyes. “You don’t have to file any report, but going to the hospital might be a good idea…”

“I told him they could have given him a disease!” Syd continues, “But he’s not listening…”

“Hey. Okay. Listen… You know how you could be really helpful? Why don’t you run in and get your friend some water.”

When Syd, huffing and puffing still, walks out of earshot, Valeria smiles at Will and says, “Hey. You feel up to telling me your name?”

“Uh, William,” he manages. He still can’t meet her eye.

“Your friend seems like he wants to help, but he’s being a little much, isn’t he?”

Will does let out a tiny chuckle at that.

“So, listen. You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want. It sounds like you talked to your friend, and that’s huge. Whatever is next is your choice.”

“It doesn’t feel that way,” Will whispers. Then he mumbles out as much of what happened as he can manage, ending with the broken mirror. “I have no idea what to do.”

“What if we did this,” Valeria suggests, dropping the cigarette grinding it on the asphalt. “To get your friend off your back, what if you went to the ER and had them look at your hand. Then… if you feel safe with them, you can tell them about the other stuff? If you want to, that is.”

“Maybe,” Will says quietly, looking back down.

“Tell me more about you?” Valeria prompts. “What do you do? What’s your passion?”

“It’s kinda weird. I’m like a kids’ clown.”

“That’s one you don’t hear every day. You want a cigarette, by the way?”

“Nah, I don’t smoke.”

“Good choice. It’d be a bad influence on the kids.”

Will blushes and chuckles, looking over at her. 

“Do you think I’ll ever be okay?”

“That kinda depends on what you define ‘okay’ as meaning, Will.”

“I don’t know,” Will says. “I don’t know what it means.”

“Then let yourself figure it out, okay? In the meantime… get your hand looked at.”

“What if Syd’s right? What if… if they did have something? Then…”

Valeria looks at him.

“Just do one little thing at the time. Hand first.”

Will nods, slowly, as rises as Syd returns with water.

“Thank you,” he says, “I really mean it. I’m, uh, gonna… Syd, we should go to the ER.”

Valeria gives him a small wave as she rises, too, and watches him go.

***

A little over a year later, Will and Syd are at RST video.

“Look, look at this shit. This looks like the dirtiest, nastiest shit. I gotta rent this,” Syd calls from the adult section as Will rolls his eyes, looking over the box for Almost Famous.  
That’s when he sees her, walking down the aisle, and he nearly drops the VHS and runs for dear life. 

It’s Valeria with an RST lanyard around her neck and he’s not sure if she remembers him, but he knows he remembers her, and swallows enough air that he starts choking on it.

“You okay?” she inquires, walking by. There’s a hint of recognition in her eye, but she doesn’t say his name – any one of them – and blinks instead.

“Valeria,” he says. “You work here? I thought you were, um, a social work intern.” At least, he tries to manage it in between all of the wheezing. 

“Oh,” she replies, not missing a beat, “You recognize me from my other job? Well, you know, if we recognize someone from there, we have to act like we don’t know them.” She is either winking or squinting in response, but Will feels immeasurable relief at that. Still, he doesn’t leave.

“I, um, you may not, uh, remember or say you can remember, but one time you gave me some pretty good advice. And, ah, I took it. And I’m glad that I did.”  
Valeria beams. 

“Well, I’m really glad to hear that.”

“Why are you working at RST?” Will asks. “I mean, I know people kept telling me to get a real job but, like… I’m a clown. And you’re a social worker.”

“And it is super cute that you feel like there’s that big of a difference,” Valeria replies with a grin. “Hey, come here and let me show you something.”

She leads him to the section of the store labelled “Kids”. 

Underneath the banner “#1 Rental of the Month, RST Video” is the latest Flappy’s Funhouse DVD.

And Will realizes that maybe he will be all right.

Maybe he already is.


End file.
